A controversial bill approved unanimously in the City Council created a clash between Goiás politicians and the City of Goiânia in relation to the fight against feminicide.
The project in question, authored by councilor Major Vitor Hugo (PL), former leader of the Bolsonaro government in the Chamber of Deputies, institutes a set of measures for , including psychological assistance, legal guidance and encouraging participation in self-defense courses.
But the proposal also provides for safety training and the possibility of purchasing a firearm for permitted use, after completing previous non-lethal steps.
The aid for purchasing weapons is R$5,000. There is also financial assistance in five situations: self-defense or martial arts courses, purchase of pepper spray (up to R$400), in another stage women can receive R$1,200 to purchase an electronic device, such as a stun taser. Finally, victims can use the amount of R$5,000 to purchase a firearm.
The councilor defends the initiative. “This bill meets the need we have in Brazil to combat violence against women, a huge problem,” he declared.
These sections of weapons purchases and financing were the point of conflict with Mayor Sandro Mabel (União). The head of the municipal Executive vetoed parts of the project and returned the text to the councilors.
Devices related to budget management, the purchase of weapons and the use of municipal funds were blocked, in addition to points dealing with the progressive scale of protection and monitoring of the program, considered an invasion of the Executive’s powers.
The justification for the veto was based on an opinion from the Municipal Attorney General’s Office, which pointed out three main problems in the project: lack of initiative, since the proposal creates expenses and defines actions that would be the responsibility of the Executive; financial unconstitutionality, for foreseeing expenses without a budgetary impact study; and competence of the Union, as it deals with rules on weapons and defense devices, a subject of federal legislation.
Now, councilors are considering overturning the mayor’s vetoes and enacting the bill in Goiânia.
Experts weigh in
HAS CNN, the judge of the Court of Justice of the Federal District and coordinator of Women in Situations of Domestic and Family Violence at TJDFT, Gislaine Campos Reis, considers that it is a delicate topic that needs to be observed from other perspectives.
“It is the State’s obligation [proteger a vítima]. By purchasing the weapon, the woman is put at risk due to handling, without knowing how to use it. Police officers themselves need a lot of training to start using them. And let’s remember that the majority of femicides are caused by knives in Brazil. The firearm can turn against her [a vítima]because the man has more strength and can take it from her hand and shoot her. And the weapon has more lethal capacity”, declares the judge.
“We see other countries, for example, where access to weapons is easier, this increases, including the risk to children at home. Telling people this is telling them to protect themselves on their own. The victims are already vulnerable and become even more vulnerable. The state needs to invest in monitoring and cultural change. These are situations that are more favorable to protection”, explains the judge.
Lawyer Valéria Amorim, specialized in Constitutional Law and Family and Succession Law, member of IBDFAM (Brazilian Institute of Family Law), follows the same thought.
“I understand that the approval of the project opens an important debate about what are, in fact, the most effective mechanisms for protecting women at risk. The concern about expanding defense instruments is legitimate given the persistent reality of domestic violence in Brazil. However, encouraging access to firearms as a self-protection strategy may not represent the most appropriate solution to a problem that is complex and structural”, he details.
The expert warns that, in many cases of domestic violence, the victim is surprised by the aggressor or finds herself in a situation of intense emotional and psychological vulnerability. “In these contexts, the expectation that the victim will be able to react effectively using a firearm may not correspond to reality. On the contrary, the presence of weapons in situations of domestic conflict tends to increase the risk of tragic outcomes.”
In the professionals’ opinion, this, however, does not mean that policies aimed at female self-defense should be discarded. Valéria points out that initiatives such as self-defense courses, guidance on self-protection strategies and access to non-lethal devices, such as pepper spray, can indeed help the victim have the means to react and seek an escape route in dangerous situations.
There is no date set for councilors to analyze the Goiânia mayor’s vetoes, but parliamentarians interviewed by the report say they tend to overturn them, as the project was unanimously approved.
